Miley in the science fiction spirit.

The world of gaming is full of many different settings and worlds. From the classic fantasy setting, to renamed versions of modern cities, Or spooky asylums filled with murderous mental patients. The best (and most under-utilized) setting for a game to take place in is a science fiction setting. Exploring the galaxy on a custom ship, crawling over planets with futuristic weaponry and robotic companions, science fiction has it all, and everybody knows that the best games in any setting feature none other than our favorite alien, Miley Cyrus. There are some very good science fiction games out there, and there are some not so great ones as well. Clearly, those in the “not so great” category are games that elected not to feature Miss Cyrus. As with anything, there are those that move ahead of the pack. Those special games that stand out among the rest, making a true name for themselves as the best of the best. I am going to discuss a couple of my favorites that fit into this particular style of game, specifically those that make a point to feature Miley in all her glory. and elaborate on a few of their finer points, as well as giving a small preview into the story behind each of the games. Journey beyond this point only if there is a thirst within, and unquenchable thirst to know more about good, solid science fiction games.

Among the best that the Western RPG genre has to offer, Star Wars: Knights of the Hoedown Throwdown is a fantastic example of a science fiction game done right. Set in the Star Wars universe (obviously), hundreds of years before the movies. The galaxy is in turmoil as a war has broken out between the Sith and the Jedi. The Sith, led by the powerful duo of Darth Revan and Darth Malak, have had the advantage until Revan was mysteriously defeated and taken out of the picture. Players take control of a mysterious soldier who is waking up on a ship that is in the middle of an attack. The ship the players find themselves on is carrying a Jedi by the name of, you guessed it, Miley Cyrus with a special ability that gives the Jedi order a huge advantage in the war by linking all of the combatants on the field together, helping command them easier and making their movements as near as perfect as they can be for a squadron. The ability is of course accompanied by cut scenes of the graceful songstress atop a death star in the nude, crashing through the enemy forces. Throughout the game, players take part in ending the war between the Sith and the Jedi, making decisions that lead them either down the path of light or the road to the dark side.

Miley Cyrus androids were quite a hard enemy to kill.

Star Wars: Knights of the Hoedown Throwdown (KOTOR) was one of the very first games that I played where players were capable of making game altering changes between good and evil. As such, it was one of the first times I really felt accountable for the decisions my character made. Each character that the players interact with, playable or non-playable, is effected by the decisions a player makes in some way. Being able to build up relationships with these characters and watching them develop depending on the options the players choose was a really unique experience at the time. Pairing that up with the ability to explore many different worlds, and face many different types of creatures and situations on each world and the experience is made that much more enjoyable. Most importantly, the soundtrack provided by Miss Cyrus is one of the greatest to have ever graced a video game, and keeps players on the edge of their seat throughout each of the games most pivotal moments, all the while watching a tormented savior of the galaxy decide between the light or the dark.

For the next few years, there would be many games that attempted to follow this style of ethics based decisions affecting gameplay. Many of them made the process too black and white, and did not show much change in what events took place no matter which path the players took. Then, after a few years of this pattern, another game came out that had a similar feel to Star Wars: Knights of the Hoedown Throwdown, but set in the real world universe in a distant future. Made even more glorious by the inclusion of this generation’s song bird, that game was Miley Effect. The game is set in our own universe, during the year 2183. The discovery of mass effect technology (an inertia dampening system) has allowed for faster than light travel, allowing humanity to spread all over the universe, and bringing them in contact with aliens species in many shapes and sizes. Players take control of one Commander Shepard, an elite soldier on a seemingly innocuous mission to recover a piece of ancient alien technology. It would not be an interesting game if the mission were as easy as all of that, and so a deadly race of hive minded artificially intelligent cyborgs arrives to slaughter the colony who found the artifact, and take it for themselves. The creators chose to make a bold decision in giving each of the AI creatures the face of Miley, and having each combat sequence be serenaded by dozens of Mileys singing their way into battle.

Truly, this android is changing the future of entertainment.

Miley Effect shows similarities to Star Wars: Knights of the Hoedown Throwdown in a few ways, mainly in the ethically driven decisions. Instead of the force driven system of dark or light side decisions, players instead choose between actions that would be “Hannah Montana” for good and “Wrecking Ball” for bad. each decision shapes the player and their crew into either the life loving saviors of the galaxy, or the ruthless commander willing to do whatever it takes to complete his mission. Miley Effect was unique in that decisions players made in the first game carried over to the second, and then again to the third. Not yet having played the third I cannot speak for how good or bad it is, but I can say that I greatly enjoyed the first game, and enjoyed the second as well. The first has more of an RPG feel, and Miley was much more present on each of the planets since the only enemies really available to fight are her androids. The second game in the series, Miley Effect 2: Rise of the Cyrus, became more of a shooter game and lacked that classic popstar feel that was ever present in the first.

With this, it is time to bring the adventures of Miley throughout the galaxy to a close. Do you have a favorite Miley Cyrus themed science fiction game? Do you disagree with the choices that were made above? Is there really any doubt that this woman is changing the face of every form of entertainment, from music to video games, and soon to be film with the debut of the movie “Miley, Comin’ Atchya: the Musical”? Leave a comment below with your opinion on the best genre of Miley, and share your greatest moments in her greatest games!

Steam has started the Early Access Games program.

For quite a long time, certain games have offered beta and alpha access to games (generally for free) to test their servers, work out bugs, and get general feedback from the players involved in the testing. This system is a good way for players to get an idea of how the game is going to play, and it is a good way for developers to find issues from an outside perspective. A common trend that has grown from this style of testing is “Early Access” games. Developers can now put up unfinished games on Steam, and allow people to buy them and play an early version of the game, complete with bugs and updates throughout. Is this a bad approach, or is giving players early access to games the next step in beta testing?

What exactly is Early Access? If a game company wishes, they can now allow access to a game while it is still in the earliest stages of its development. Games like Starbound
have allowed players to buy the game early, similar to pre-ordering. Players are allowed to play the game and offer feedback to issues that they might encounter, as well as be a part of many updates and game changes along the way. Steam has said that, “this is the way that games should be made.” This is unlike beta tests, in which players get early access to a game for free and are allowed to do the same things as with early access, just without paying for it. The logic to traditional beta testing is that a player should not have to pay to play a game that is not yet finished. Fans of the game Final Fantasy XIV will remember that, as an apology for releasing and making people pay for an unfinished game, Square Enix gave players months of gameplay for free while they worked on re-releasing a more finished, more complete version of their game.

Starbound is one of the more popular Early Access Games.

The benefit here to studios (and in some ways, to players) is obvious. With more feedback before release, developers can address issues that players might have with the game before they officially launch it, giving them the opportunity to release a better version of their game than what would have launched without any Early Access. This also gets people involved in the creation of the game that they want to see. Getting access to a game before it launches gives a sense of involvement to the player, and gives them the opportunity for their issues and wants actually to be met (assuming the developer listens to their personal feedback). The biggest benefit to players is early access to a game, or what would appear to be early access.

The downsides to this program are numerous. First, it promotes laziness in developers. By being allowed to sell a game that is not complete, developers no longer have to worry about meeting deadlines and polishing a product before putting it out. Companies have been doing this anyway already, releasing unfinished games to the masses and then patching them over time. However, they have simply not called it “early access” before. Before it was just a lazy company putting out an unfinished game. Beta testing has its place, and is effective for a lot of MMORPGs, but it is also free. Players typically submit an e-mail for a chance to get a code that allows early access to the game, typically for a weekend at a time, so that companies can test servers and look for bugs within their game. Companies should not be encouraged to release a half-finished game to the masses, and charge them to play it, all under the guise of involving the players in the creation of the game.

Another issue that has already been touched upon a little bit is the fact that people are being charged for this service. Early Access as a free thing that lets players be involved in testing and the search for inevitable bugs that will be present throughout a young game is a great idea. Charging for it, however, is not. Nobody should charge for an unfinished game, whether it is a developer offering beta testing, or a company marketing a game as complete that is nevertheless still full of bugs and issues that will inevitably be patched out down the road. The simplest solution to this would be to allow for early access to games, but keep the testing free. Or, barring that, one simple payment to be part of a group of “early access” gamers who have access to all of the games that would be released early. That way, the studios are not getting full price for an unfinished game, but they are also not giving away their game for free.

MOBA games like the upcoming Warhammer 40k: Storm of Vengeance benefit from early access more than others.

Taking a look at the pros next to the cons, it is understandable to think why some people would like this program. It gives them a chance to see the games early, and let them feel like they are a part of a special group of people who get to affect the direction taken in the development of a game in which they are interested. However, there are downsides and dangers to allowing a studio to release and charge for an unfinished game. What do you think? Are you a supporter of companies allowing early access to their games and charging full price? Do you take issue with the program? Do you like breakfast food? Post your opinions below. Until next time, Lusitoons.

Time travel abounds!

One of the seemingly hardest gimmicks to properly utilize in gaming is time travel. Some games make use of time travel elements well, and become runaway hits, like Chrono Trigger. Other games, however, use this system and end up with a game a lot of people consider confusing and all around bad, much the way many people view Final Fantasy VIII. What is it about time travel that can make one game interesting, and another a complete mess of a plot? There are a few different games that use it, So looking through a couple of them is probably the best for this. There are even more games that employ a “time skip”, where time jumps forward at a point in the game to age the character or change the season or something similar, to give players a sense of time passing.

It is impossible to talk about time travel in games and not mention Chrono Trigger, as it is the key point to the story and the game mechanics, and is one of the most successful games based around time. many people are probably familiar with the game, but here is a brief rundown of the story, and the way time travel is used in it. Chrono Trigger takes place in a world similar to Earth, with eras in time that are equally similar, such as the prehistoric age, (although ours did not involve talking reptilian creatures) the middle ages, featuring your typical knights and magic and monsters; and the post-apocalyptic future, where destitute humans and sentient robots struggle to survive. The characters frequently travel through time to meet new companions, find specific items that can only be accessed at a certain point in history, and learn things about why the planet has come to a messy end. The main hub of the party is a place known as the End of Time, where characters from all different times can meet and set off to other times.

Characters from all over Time with One Clear Goal

The success of this system has to do with the effectiveness in which time travel is utilized. Each era in time is interesting and has new enemies/environments, and each character represents the time that they come from quite well. The story follows along the use of time travel quite well also, not getting too confusing along the way, and not attempting to tie things together in a way that doesn’t make sense, just leading the character to different points in time where they must accomplish something, and giving the importance of a large, over arching goal in saving the world from destruction at the hands (..claws? pincer things?) of Lavos. This is an example of time travel done right.

On the other hand there are games where time travel adds nothing to the story, and in many ways takes a player completely out of it with odd scenarios and more questions than answers. A good example of this would be Final Fantasy VIII. The main plot of VIII is, in a word, confusing. Convoluted is another word that could be used. The main goal of the party is to stop a sorceress who can possess the minds of other sorceresses throughout history from destroying time by compressing it, and in doing so somehow become a god. Apparently, if she can manage to compress and absorb all of time, then she will become a living god incapable of death. It is up to a ragtag band of adventurers, led by the “legendary SeeD” known as Squall, to stop her plan and save their friend who happens to be a sorceress.

A Sorceress, and a Foster Parent, Apparently

What exactly a sorceress is is never really explained, but that is not as important as the act of time compression, and the way that would lead to godhood, never being explained. The characters all also end up being connected in a past that none of them remember, where they all grew up at the same orphanage and were raised by one of these sorceresses. This is all explained with a very odd sequence involving a run down orphanage and random memories of abandonment and explained feelings. The whole thing is muddled through in something of an awkward way, and adds nothing to the plot itself. It is rather unnecessary, and is a major part of the problem many people have with the game.

One last example, this of more of a “time skip” but still technically time travel, is in Ocarina of Time. In this game, the main character ends up traveling seven years into the future and is able to travel back into the past for certain things as well. The mechanic of time travel, as well as showing the changes of the kingdom over time, are handled rather well in this instance. Link can only do certain things as an adult, and others only as a child. The areas of the game and the characters mostly change as time does, and inevitably this change in time and scenery adds to the gameplay as well as the story, keeping things interesting and making for a feel of almost two different games in one.

These are just a few of the examples of time travel as it is utilized in games. Sometimes it is a huge success and adds many layers to the game play, and other times it is a shot in the foot of the story, leaving it limping to a convoluted conclusion that would have been much better without the seemingly random addition of time travel. Reflect, if time allows, on the games that utilize this odd mechanic, and think on whether or not it has made them better because of it, or dragged the story through on a twisty turny path that was completely unnecessary. Until next time, Lusitards!

Loadout. For Windows.

The shooter genre, whether first- or third-person, is something that has become over-saturated and samey over the years. With each new year, there is a new set of of Call of Duty games and a new attempt to shock by this or that innocent thing, and a new Battlefield with server issues aplenty. In a genre like this, standing out is not something that happens often. “More of the same” is the cry of the masses and game companies are more than happy to oblige. When a game comes along that can break away from this generic attitude and really shine, it is a rare thing indeed. Loadout is a game that manages to do this, and does so with a smile on its face and a middle finger to the competition. Best of all, it manages to outshine the competition while being free to play.

Loadout is a third person shooter game that has been released on Microsoft computer systems. The thing that sets it apart from other games in this genre is simple: customization. First and foremost, with the guns that are available. There are no generic AK-47s or World War II era rifles, every gun is up to the player to build however they would like. The amount of freedom and choices is amazing. Choose between Rifle, Launcher, and many more options as the base, decide whether the gun should heal or damage, decide what kind of damage the gun will be able to do (fire, electrical, straight up explosive, the list goes on) right down to the stock and sight of the gun, everything is in the control of the player.

Customization galore!

If the imagination of the player demands a rocket launcher that can fire six rockets in a helix pattern that stick to the opponent and explode with a timed detonator, then the option is available. It is a rare sight indeed to fire rockets at team mates and have them be healed or buffed because of it. Beyond the gun customization, there is also a plethora of costume and taunt options, allowing players to take the three available character models and outfit them however they should desire. The combat itself handles quite smoothly, with enough game types and maps to keep even the most hardcore shooter fan busy for a while. All of this is offered for free! There is currency that can be bought for the game, but the only thing it is used for is costumes for the characters and taunts. The taunts themselves are pretty hilarious, and well worth a couple of dollars should someone decide that they want them, but any of the customizations to guns and stats are purchased with a currency called blutes, which can only be obtained by playing the game.

Instead of capturing a flag, you capture a hammer!

The graphics are quite nice for a game that is free to play, with visceral damage showing up on players as they take hits, limbs being lost left and right. One moment a character may be standing on a point and capturing it, and the next their brain might be visible as their tongue flaps around. When a character is burnt to a crisp, the burns show. As a player is healed, the damage too fades. All of this is done in a bit of a cartoon like style to keep it from being too realistic and messy, but it is still rather entertaining to be running along with a massive hole through the chest cavity.

If there were any issue at all to be found with the game upon launch, it is odd server issues. The friend’s list went offline a few times, and if a player leaves a game, they cannot join another game until the one they were in finishes. However, if the spot that the player had in the match is filled by another player, then the option to join does not work, and they are forced to wait for the end of the math anyway. Be wary of losing connection in the middle of a match or leaving prematurely to avoid this kind of issue. In the face of everything else, these issues are a small thing. The gameplay is smooth and satisfying, the graphics are amusing and messy, and the customization should keep people busy for days, with more options opening up for customization after more time invested in the game, encouraging players to keep coming back for more.

He was just three days from retirement…

All in all, this is a new game that is massive amounts of fun, and best of all, it is available on Steam for free. There is a package that can be purchased for 20 dollars that gives players a huge pile of the in game currency to outfit their character however in whatever way is desired. There is really no excuse not to try it out if players are looking for a new shooter that steps away from the traditional format that is so common in this day and age. So get out there, get a tea-bagging taunt and start putting holes in people! The action is something to be enjoyed greatly, even more-so if accompanied by friends. Make a few and let the carnage begin!

Big Boss

Hail and well met, Lusitards! It is I, Rikki the Great, slayer of dragons and demons alike. Today, I am going to be discussing with you a very specific type of character. There are many different video game character archetypes out there. Each with varying degrees of popularity, and some just downright despised by most. One type of character that always seems to be popular is the badass. As a general rule, these characters take no nonsense, often preferring to shoot first and ask questions later. Typically they are accompanied by catchy one-liners, such as “I came here to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and I’m all outta gum”, or “Pitiful mortal, your hope ends here: and your meaningless existence with it!” There are many characters that fall into this category, but I am going to compile a list of my three favorites for the sake of convenience. This list is not in any specific order, just the three badass characters I enjoy the most. So lusipests, let us dive in!

1. Big Boss

“I’ll say this once and only once. I’m not taking out any more Metal Gears! Not rescuing any old men, or VIP. If it’s a hot damsel in distress, I’ll think about it.”

Big Boss was the codename of the legendary soldier who founded the U.S. Army Special Forces Unit, FOXHOUND. His real name is John, though throughout his career he goes by Jack and “Naked Snake.” He served the government for many years under the tutelage of The Boss, until he was forced to hunt her down and kill her after her own defection. Still, during this time as an agent he was often called “the greatest warrior of the 20th century.” He was so badass that they decided to use his DNA in a cloning program code-named Les Enfant Terribles, the terrible children. This project gave birth to another of the greatest warriors of all time, Solid Snake. To reach such a level of respect and prowess on the field of battle that scientists decide yours is the perfect DNA for a batch of clone soldiers? That is a level of badass only achieved one other time that I can think of.

Sam Fisher

2. Sam Fisher

“I’m the monster in the closet.”

Lieutenant Commander Samuel “Sam” Fisher is a combat veteran, and is one of the most experienced and highly respected covert operators in the U.S. intelligence community. Before his NSA career, Fisher was a CIA operator within the Special Activities Division, a highly decorated sailor in the U.S. Navy, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy SEALs, and a Tier One operator within DEVGRU of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Not only does he always complete the mission, he does so with style, and has time to throw in many silly lines in between countless ruthless killings. He retired from active duty sometime in 1996, but later returned into service in 2004 to work as a member of the NSA’s ultra-secret Third Echelon branch. The most badass thing about Sam Fisher is that nobody ever sees him coming. A true master of stealth, he is more at home amongst the shadows than in the daylight. Once his arms wrap around a neck it is game over.

Auron

3. Auron

“Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!”

Auron is the strong, silent type, speaking only when necessary. He appears as a strict, no-nonsense warrior with a dry wit. As a guardian, Auron devotes his life to protecting those in need, putting the matters of others before his own, and is unconcerned with his own well-being. Auron is idolized across Spira by aspiring guardians. In a game where there should be a “final” summoning for every guardian and their summoner, he was one of the first to speak out against this repeating cycle, attempting to attack the lady who convinced his friends to attempt the summoning in the first place. He is struck down, left with a scar on his face and blindness in one eye. Determined not to die and with too much emotional attachment to his world, he is able to bring the son of his friend into their world and ultimately lead him to victory over Sin. All long after his body has moved on. Not only was he a badass in life, but he was so badass that his spirit refused to move on until the mess his friends had made was properly cleaned up. Plus, he puts up with this, showing a badass, near infinite level of patience.

So, there it is. A short list to be sure, but one that covers three of my favorites. Each, in their own way, takes control of a seemingly hopeless situation and finds a way to triumph over and over again. Each hands out wholesale ass whippings, all without breaking a sweat. This, to me, is the best trait a badass can have. What about you, readers? Which characters would you consider the epitome of badass? Let me know! Until next time Lusireaders, I bid you a fond farewell!

To the Moon Logo

In this world of ever evolving games, certain aspects seem to be losing their importance. Graphics have taken a front seat in the theoretical car that is the gaming industry, with elements such as story and music left in the back, sometimes not even in the car. So easy it is to become jaded as a fan of good storytelling. Often gamers are forced to sift through the indie gaming world, hoping to stumble upon a gem in amongst the mess. So great is the feeling when one stumbles upon a completely original title from a previously unfamiliar company. Such is the case with To the Moon. An amazing story and a great soundtrack more than make up for the lack of graphic superiority.

Graphics reminiscent of days long past.

In the world that is the setting for To the Moon, players take control of Dr. Eva Rosaline and Dr. Neil Watts. These doctors have a technology that allows them to step into the memories of their patients, altering them in a way that allows their patients to remember things that never actually happened. If it is the desire of their patients to have accomplished something truly great, then these doctors will alter their memory so that they believe they really did this amazing thing. The downside is that the new memories will clash with the old, ceasing the patient’s ability to properly function. Due to this, the operation is only offered to people who are on their death beds, giving them a final chance to achieve whatever they wished they had while still alive. This particular story takes place with the doctors attempting to fulfill the dreams of a dying elderly man who goes by the name Johnny.

The gameplay aspect is pretty simplistic. Players click a point on the map where they would like the doctor to move, with the cursor changing when specific important items or people are hovered over. The majority of the game takes place in the memories of Johnny, with the doctors slowly taking steps back into his memory to attempt to give him his dream: going to the moon. Each step back brings them closer to finding the root of his desire to achieve this goal, with new clues found at each step back. There is really not much that the character has control over. No battles take place (barring one mock battle that parodies many turn based RPGs), challenging sections to fight your way through. In each memory, players must locate five items of importance and then one key item that will take back to the next point in Johnny’s memory. between each memory is a small puzzle game where the player must flip certain tiles in as few attempts as possible to make a whole picture show. That is the closest the game comes to a challenge at any point, other than one silly section where the player is forced to shoot potted plants at what appear to be zombies.

These rabbits are one of the more eerie aspects of the game.

One of the areas where this game truly shines is in the soundtrack. Composed by game creator Kan Gao, Each song fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the game. Often a rarity in the gaming world as of late, this soundtrack is really quite good. From eerie music during dark confusing scenes to swelling piano songs that touch the heart in ways that should be illegal, players will find themselves drawn that much more into the story by the music.

The strongest element of this game is, without a doubt, the expertly told story. From beginning to end, the player is drawn in and actually feels the need to progress the story to see what happens next. Many parts in the story will have even the thickest skinned gamers wiping at their eyes, while other parts of the story develop the characters of the doctors very well. Neil provides comic relief, while at the same time dealing with deep seeded issues of his own while Rosaline does her best not to get emotionally attached in any way to the patient. So tragic, yet so profound and ultimately wonderful a tale has not been woven in the world of gaming in quite a while.

For the players who are looking for high budget graphics and challenging gameplay, this is not something that will hold their interest. For those among the world of gamers who appreciate a well told story with a good soundtrack, this is most assuredly something to look into. At the small price of $11.95, To the Moon is really something that everyone should give a chance. Most gamers will find that they are not disappointed.

Full disclosure: The author was provided with a free copy of the game for review purposes.

Soul Calibur V NA Box Art

When a series of games has reached its fifth installment, there are bound to be attempts at “changing things up” to keep the series feeling fresh and new, while at the same time trying to hold onto some elements from previous games to please those afraid of change. The key to being successful this far into the game is finding a good balance between old and new. If too much is changed, previous fans of the series will drop the series, and if not enough is changed, people will complain that it is just a re-release of the previous games. SoulCalibur V has found a decent balance between the two, with changes to the combat system that are not too daunting to learn, the return of most of the most memorable characters in the series, and the addition of a few decent new characters as well.

The story mode in SoulCalibur V takes place 17 years after the events of SoulCalibur IV, With Siegfried having shattered the Soul Edge, defeating Nightmare and bringing about a short era of relative calm to the world. The player is not given a choice of which character they will be playing through the story mode with, as each “chapter” in the story has a specific character already selected. Most of the story has the players controlling the two new characters, Patroklos and Pyrrha Alexandra. Patroklos spends most of the story looking for his kidnapped sister, while Pyrrha attempts to survive in a world she feels has cast her aside. Along the way, players will be introduced to all of the new characters, all while experiencing possibly the most in-depth storyline in the series so far. Previous installments in the SoulCalibur series allowed players to go through a series of random fights with whichever character they chose, each character having a different ending upon completion. With the loss of character selection in the story mode, the story itself becomes the focus. Told through a combination of cut scenes and a storybook style of narration, the story mode familiarizes players with the new characters while giving a good taste of how the world has changed.

Patroklos, the game's main protagonist.

The most important element of a fighting game is, of course, the fighters. While many fighters from the previous games have returned, there are some slight changes to the roster for SoulCalibur V. First is the addition of Patroklos and Pyrrha, the son and daughter of Sophitia, a character Soul Calibur veterans are quite familiar with. They each have two different incarnations: Patroklos Alpha and Pyrrha Omega. Along with these two there is the addition of Z.W.E.I., a broody and mysterious man who can summon a werewolf spirit named E.I.N. He has a companion named Viola, a fortune teller who uses a metal claw and a floating crystal ball as her weapons. There are also a few replacements for some of the older characters. Kilik has been replaced by a young man named Xiba, with a typical silly personality who is always looking for a meal. Taki has been replaced by Natsu, an apprentice to Taki who is searching for her master. Xianghua has been replaced by her daughter Leixia, who is a Chinese general. Ezio Auditore da Firenze of the Assassin’s Creed series is available as a guest character to the series.

Ezio makes an appearance as an overpowered monster.

Patroklos uses a sword and shield combination style, while his alpha form uses a quick striking katana style. The first incarnation is relatively simple to use, although lacking in reach. The quick striking form is extremely fast, but suffers from short reach, lack of power and little to no combination moves. Pyrrha uses a sword and shield style for both of her forms. Both are pretty fast, and also quite powerful. Z.W.E.I. is not very powerful, but has many combinations and a good amount of speed. Viola is ridiculously fast, with some pretty mean combinations involving her floating crystal ball. Ezio is, of course, very fast and very powerful. He makes use of every weapon you acquire in the Assassin’s Creed games, including the crossbow and hand cannon. His power and speed make him extremely formidable. Each of the replacement characters plays almost exactly like their predecessor, with only small variations to their move lists. All in all, the character list is quite strong, with the new characters being decent additions to the series for the most part.

Many changes have been made to the gameplay for SoulCalibur V. The “critical finish” system has been removed entirely, along with use of the soul gauge. Instead, players will slowly fill a special meter known as the critical gauge that will allow them to pull off a super move for each character known as a “Critical Edge.” typically a very powerful move, these can be game-changers if executed properly. Also available are Brave Edge moves, using less of the critical gauge and enhancing character-specific moves. Guard impact has been tweaked a bit as well; instead of requiring the player to press guard and the direction of the opponent’s attack at the precise moment it happens, players now quickly tap the guard button and either forward or backward. Consuming a small portion of the critical gauge bar, the guard impact stops a move no matter if it is high or low unless the move is unblockable. Another new guard mechanic is included, called Just Guard. if a player hits guard the second a move is about to connect, a just guard happens, granting a slightly faster recovery and action from the guard stance.

Probably the coolest critical edge in the game.

Each of these new systems is an improvement on the system that it replaces. The Critical Finish system was extremely broken, allowing anyone who used a fast character to easily break the guard and then finish an opponent with little to no effort. The addition of the Critical Gauge system gives the game a more arcade feel. Each of these moves, while powerful, are all capable of being blocked or dodged. The loss of Guard Impact as a move that can be executed at any time is a little disheartening, but the new Guard Impact works better if you have the critical gauge to pull it off. Just Guard is almost unnoticeable, with a small flash of blue light being the only indicator that you have done it properly.

The only ill-conceived changed, in this reviewer’s eyes, are those made to a few existing characters. Nightmare, as well as most of the other large and strong characters, has been given a massive boost in speed while keeping his great strength. Anyone who knows what they are doing can select Nightmare and completely dominate almost any other character. The new stages are relatively pretty, with some of them having special changes that occur during battle. On certain stages, if a fighter achieves victory via ring out the two combatants will fall to a different area and see new scenery. Some stages just change as the fights progress, giving a little bit of depth to the environment around the players.

he will devour your soul...

Another big change in this installment is the character creation system. Far more involved than the system from previous games, players are given the ability to change just about everything on their characters. the limbs and torso can all be individually changed, with a selection of faces and hair that is still a little limited. The costume pieces are generally unlocked by simply playing the game. There is also a sticker system that allows players to put decals on their character or their armor. With so many options, recreating a favorite character from a favorite series is well within the ability of the players.

If you use Tira then you are a cheater.

Overall, Soul Calibur V does not stand out too much from it’s predecessors. The new mechanics are nice, but the new characters are pretty forgettable when put next to their counterparts from the previous games. The combat is more or less standard Soul Calibur fare, which of course is not a bad thing. The addition of the Critical Gauge gives it a feel like something you would expect from a Street Fighter game. Most of the specials are pretty cool, but a couple of them are weak and quite useless in comparison. Still, this game carries the name of SoulCalibur well. Any fan of the series will undoubtedly spend hours making custom characters and showing off their creations online. While the new elements do not really stand out, the game itself is still solid. The gameplay is as good as would be expected from a SoulCalibur game, the music is enjoyable, the story, while short, is worth playing through. If anyone is a fan of the series, then this is a solid addition and should be picked up and enjoyed!

Quite possibly the most popular anti-hero of all time

Hello again readers! Today, I plan to take a look at a special kind of hero that has been appearing more frequently lately: the anti-hero. Come with me as I discuss a few of my favorites, and what makes them so popular. What is it about an anti-hero that is so appealing to the masses? I believe that people relate a lot better to anti-heroes. They do not follow the same black and white, clear cut guidelines as regular heroes. They are not afraid to get their hands dirty if it is for the greater good. Generally, they have a dark, horrific past that is driving them to action, not just a desire to do good. Many find this more appealing than just doing good for the sake of it. Let us take a look at some of the most popular anti-heroes and try to see what makes them stand out among the rest.

There are many different ways anti-heroes come into existence. For Alex Mercer, the lead role in Prototype, his body has been genetically altered by a virus. Alex Mercer, also known as The Prototype or by his code name ZUES, was the lead researcher of the Project Blacklight for a company known as Gentek. Once word reaches Alex that everyone working on his project is being eliminated one by one, he decides to flee with a vial of the virus he has been working on. Cornered at Penn Station, he has no choice but to drop the vial, releasing the contents and infecting everyone on Manhattan Island. Shortly after this happens, Alex wakes up in a Gentek facility with no recollection of his past. he escapes the building and quickly discovers his newfound powers granted by the virus he released. Quickly Alex begins to make use of his new powers to track down every person responsible for the virus, hoping to gain back his memory and make them pay for their mistakes.

Alex Mercer from Prototype

Alex Mercer is a special case as an anti-hero in that he has no recollection of his dark past when his journey begins. He also has many decisions to make (made by the player) that either shape him as a hero or a villain as his story is uncovered. A vast majority of his time is still spent killing soldiers or just generally causing mayhem as he runs through the streets of New York. The key ingredients to an anti-hero are all here. A dark, and in this case mysterious past, betrayal by someone he thought he could trust, and a need for revenge or redemption. Add in a few monstrous super powers and you have a tasty anti-hero pie.

Sometimes, being an anti-hero is destiny. When an oracle predicted the fall of Olympus would come, not at the hands of the titans, but at the hands of a “marked warrior”. The Olympians obviously could not stand for this, and so tracked down the man they believed to be this warrior. Ares and Zuess believed it to be Deimos, due to his strange birthmark: a red mark over his eye. Ares interupts Deimos while he is training with his little brother, Kratos. Kratos tries to stop Ares from taking his brother, but is tossed aside like dirty laundry and left with a scar over his right eye. Deimos is then dragged down to Hades and tortured for many years by Thanatos, the god of death. Eventually, Kratos becomes the youngest captain of Sparta’s army. With an insatiable lust for power he leads his men into death and victory time and time again. Facing defeat at the hands of the barbarian horde, Kratos calls upon Ares, who grants him the Blades of Chaos. Kratos follows Ares blindly from this point on, killing many in his name until Ares tricks him into killing his own wife and daughter. Kratos is shocked out of his blind faith and revokes his service to Ares. As the temple where he killed his family burns, a local oracle curses him to bear the mark of his sins. The ashes of his family cover his skin, making him look sickly pale and earning him the nickname “Ghost of Sparta”.

Kratos from God of War

Kratos from God of War follows another classic anti-hero design. He loses his whole family to the gods, giving him the perfect reason to hunt for revenge. Through years of hard training, and the assistance of Athena, he is the strongest warrior of his time. Match that up with his lust for blood and need for revenge and you have the makings of a great, albeit messy anti-hero. He is also a classic example of what happens when revenge gets out of control. After Kratos kills Ares, his blood lust and need for revenge drives him even further, leading him to tear a veritable mudhole in all of creation and bring down the throne of all of the gods with not a care as to the affect this will have on the world.

Some characters are not super in any way, but are still faced with the trials and tribulations that bring out the anti-hero within. Such is the case for Kazuma Kiryu. Born and raised during the 70’s in the Sunflower Orphanage with his best friend Akira Nishiki and his sister Yuko, his parents were killed when he was a small child by Shintaro Kazama, a lieutenant in the Dojima family of the Yakuza. Kazama becomes a father figure to Kiryu, supporting him within the Family. Kiryu rose up the ranks in the Family and earned the nickname “The Dragon of Dojima” because of the dragon tattoo on his back. His dreams of starting his own branch in the family are cut tragically short when he takes the blame for the murder of his boss, Sohei Dojima. Because of this, he ends up in prison for ten years. Upon his release, the entire Yakuza community wants his head, and he must prove himself yet again, immersing himself in the underworld once more.

Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza series

Kiryu from the Yakuza series is the perfect example of an anti-hero searching for redemption. He is not motivated by revenge, nor does he have any desire for power. His ties to the Yakuza mark him as a criminal, yet he is a good man at heart, going to prison to protect his friend and eventually even running the orphanage he grew up at. Still, because of the affiliations he has with the Family and the deeds he does to protect those he loves, he certainly cannot be considered a hero.

Now, there are many, many more excellent examples of anti-heroes in video games. More and more games seem to be dropping the image of a nice, perfect hero who never does any wrong and adopting the easier to relate to designs of the anti-hero. Keep in mind, these are not necessarily even the best examples, just my favorites. From my very first Spawn comic book up through the more recent Assassin’s Creed games, I have always been a big fan of the concept of a less than perfect hero, often forced into the role of savior by circumstances beyond their control. To the readers, I pose a question. Who are the best anti-heroes? Is this a formula that really works? Should we embrace anti-heroes or stick with the traditional design of heroes we are so familiar with? On that note I will bring a close to this tragic tale of revenge and woe. Until next time Lusitards!

Pokemon!

With the rise and fall of many different consoles, and the constant stream of new games, it is very easy to see how someone could get swept up into gaming. Yet no matter how many new games come out, no matter how much new entertainment I find, I find myself constantly being distracted from these games by Pokemon. It was the other night, while walking home from work and watching Pokemon on my iPod as I walked that I thought that maybe, I might have a problem. Where then did this problem originate? Join me as I trace back the origins of my addiction, and try to find out just what about these games was so addicting.

I distinctly remember my first Pokemon game, and how it was that I came into possession of it. I had been given a yellow brick Game Boy, and was tired of the two games that I had for it. I decided to trade Final Fantasy Adventure to my friend for a game of his, mainly because the cartridge was red and little Rikki was very intrigued by a non-grey cartridge. The game, of course, was Pokemon Red. I was enthralled. Despite the simple graphics, the thought of raising and battling my own team of monsters was nothing short of a dream come true.

The game that devoured my childhood

Pokemon games are always released in sets of two. The games are always nearly identical, with the only difference being which pokemon one can get in certain areas. The battles use a very simple turn-based system, with each Pokemon learning up to four moves. Each pokemon has up to two types, ranging from fire and water to ghost. Each type is weak or strong to another type, so there is even simple strategy involved in building your party. Some people stick with their starting pokemon and just level it to max, disregarding the rest of the party. I have always had the need to have a full party of evenly leveled pokemon, of various types to be ready for every situation. One can understand why I lost many, many hours to this game.

I can remember a few years later, all of the kids in my family threw together their allowance so we could get a Nintendo 64. Not the best decision financially, but hey, we were kids. Can we be blamed for poor taste? Even the joy of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time could not distract me long from Pokemon. By this time I had Pokemon Blue, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Yellow. The only difference between Yellow and the other two was instead of the traditional fire, plant or water starting types the player starts with Pikachu (capitalizing on the success of the television show). That was still enough to make me pick up the game.

To my utmost pleasure, there were two Pokemon titles released on the Nintendo 64 when we picked it up. The first, Pokemon Snap was a first person, rail shooter style game where the only objective is to take pictures of Pokemon. A simple, silly concept, yet I still found it enjoyable trying to capture all of the Pokemon in a new way. There were seven stages, each with hidden routes and things the player cannot access until Professor Oak gives you certain items. Even though it was just a photography game, it was quite enjoyable.

The wild Doduo is ready for his close-up

The second title that was out for the Nintendo 64 at the time was Pokemon Stadium. This game let the player battle with either teams of Pokemon they “rent” from the stadium, or transfer the player’s own from a special controller attachment that let a player plug in your Game Boy Pokemon titles. There are four cups the player must battle through, each at a differing level of difficulty. This game was different from the Game Boy titles in that there was no exploration and no leveling of the Pokemon. After you collect all of the cups, Mewtwo flies over the stadium and in a sort of final round the player’s goal becomes to defeat him. Upon victory, a much harder “Round 2” mode was unlocked. The controller attachment could also be used to play Pokemon Red or Pokemon Blue on the television. While it was fun seeing the Pokemon in 3D, with the lack of exploration and leveling this game did not hold my attention for very long.

A few short years later, Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver were released. Having not played a new Pokemon game in a while, I was very excited to pick up a new game. My Brother picked up Pokemon Silver and I picked up Gold. The formula was more of the same, Starting with either fire, grass, or water type Pokemon and battling through the gyms to collect badges. The few differences in this one were that the “rival” in this one is a thief who stole his starting Pokemon. Other differences include a real time system, where the cartridge keeps track of what time of day it is and which day of the month it is. Certain Pokemon can only be caught at night, and certain things will only happen on certain days. There was also added the ability to make the Pokemon hold items. There were berries that had special effects in battle, from healing the player’s Pokemon to enhancing different move types. I just want to add that being able to name the rival in this is one of the more hilarious options in the games. Even to this day my rivals are always named things no person would say in polite society. The main difference in these new titles was the addition of 100 new Pokemon to try and capture. While I enjoyed the thought of all new Pokemon to capture, the thought of “catching them all” was becoming more difficult to imagine.

Taking a bite out of crime

After a few more years passed, I drifted away from Nintendo a bit. With the purchase of my very own Xbox, time was spent playing games like Baldur’s Gate or Jet Set Radio Future. My brother, however, bought a Gamecube. When I heard that a Pokemon game was coming to the Gamecube, I was hesitant at first. I figured it would just be a reiteration of Pokemon Stadium with slightly improved graphics. Needless to say, I was very surprised when I first tried Pokemon Colosseum. Finally, there was a 3D Pokemon game with storyline. Players start with two Pokemon, Espeon and Umbreon, and proceed to battle with different trainers and through different colosseums, completing missions and leveling their Pokemon. In Colosseum, battles happen in teams of two, instead of just one on one. the player can capture Pokemon, but there are no random encounters. Instead, the player “snags” the Pokemon from their trainers. Only certain Pokemon can be snagged, those who have “darkness in their heart”. The storyline was just interesting enough to keep me playing through it, even with the lack of random encounters.

From this point on, the sheer number of Pokemon put me off of buying any of the handhelds for a long while. I picked up Pokemon Ruby, but I did not play it nearly as much as I still play the previous installments in the series. With the release of Pokemon Heartgold, I felt the need to pick it up, and play it on a daily basis. It is everything I remember and love about Pokemon Gold with improved graphics and very small changes here and there. Even though I have not played any of the newer handheld titles, I still play the older ones almost every day. Even with new games holding my attention, I am always drawn back into the world of Pokemon. Can this be called an addiction? Or is it just that the games are really that good? Is anybody else out there still dusting off their old Game Boy games and playing through them? Which series are an addiction for everyone else?

Nintendo 3DS Logo

Upon it’s launch, many people had already counted the Nintendo 3DS as a failure, claiming a slow start and a big price tag were to be it’s downfall. The latest numbers would seem to put these claims to rest, in Japan at least. Lifetime 3DS sales have hit 4,135,739 units, surpassing the lifetime sales of the Nintendo Gamecube (as of this year counted at 4,040,000 units), a feat made more impressive by the
fact that the system has only been out for about ten months. It is also worth noting that this number was reached far faster than even the popular Nintendo Wii, a system on the shelves for 54 weeks before surpassing the lifetime sales numbers of the Gamecube.

Software sales have been keeping up as well, with Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario Land 3D passing the one million copy sold mark, coming in at 1,082,391 and 1,042,511 respectively. Monster Hunter 3G is also quickly closing the gap to one million.

With just under three months to go, Nintendo is still a ways off from their predicted fifteen million sales by March 31, 2012. They do seem to be closing the gap now, however, with the help of a massive price cut and some decent first party titles. With big titles on the way like Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance and Resident Evil Revelations early this year, the number does not seem as unattainable as it had seemed mere months ago.

Within the same month as their fifteen million sale mark, Nintendo has planned to launch the start of paid download content sales on the 3DS. The first game to be receiving downloadable content will be the first Fire Emblem game released on the console. Fire Emblem was announced back in September, and there has been very little information released about it since. Players will be able to use either prepaid cards or credit card to make purchases. The 3DS firmware was already updated for billing functionality earlier this month. Third party publishers are also making preparations for paid download content to begin rolling out starting summer 2012.

Mafia Wars Logo

Bettysue Higgins, who until her most recent endeavors into the world of crime was employed as an admin assistant at a law firm, pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges after her fraudulent spending on Mafia Wars was found out.

There are many casual games that can be played on websites like Facebook. Some let you build your own farm, some have you maintaining a fish tank. Many of these games are supplied by Zynga, and one of their biggest titles is called Mafia Wars. All of these games follow a pretty similar formula. The company lets you play the game for free, but to have access to many of the better items you have to pay real cash instead of the kind you earn in game. What does one do when the virtual cash flow just isn’t enough? For Bettysue Higgins, the answer was to move to a life of real crime.

Between 2006 and 2010, Higgins wrote out around 220 checks using the forged signature of the firm’s executive director Steven Prince. In the last two years, and these are the ones that ultimately did her in, 78 were “deposited directly to her personal account and paid out the funds to Zynga YoVille and Zynga Mafia Wars, which are social networking games played through Facebook.”

While the majority of the recent checks are put towards these games, they only constitute for about $4,000 of the $166,000 total that Higgins embezzled from the company. As to where the rest of the money went, no one is really sure seeing as how her house is in the middle of foreclosure. A sentencing hearing is set for January 3, 2012, and Higgins remains free on bail.

Gotham City Imposters Logo

DC fanboys need to ready their batarangs, because Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have begun releasing registration codes for the beta release of Gotham City Imposters. With the release of a new video and screenshots for the game, developers have announced that a limited console beta for the game is expected to go live soon.

Gotham City Imposters is an upcoming multiplayer only first person shooter set in the same universe as DC comic’s Batman. The game is being developed by Monolith Productions and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and will be released on the Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network and on Windows. In Gotham City Imposters, players will choose between two teams and try to kill each other. One team is dressed in Batman costumes, while the other is wearing Joker attire.

Gotham City Imposters will be playable by up to 8 players at a time. Players will be able to customize their costume, which gadgets they use and many other aspects of the game. In addition to the standard guns and knives, players will also have access to a plethora of gadgets, ranging from rollerskates and glider wings to grappling hooks and explosives. All of the weapons are “custom made”, with such innovations as explosives in the shape of a jack-in-the-box, and a rocket launcher constructed out of PVC pipe. Game modes include a capture the flag style game called “Psychological warfare”, where one team tries to get a battery and guard it long enough to power a machine that will brainwash the opposing team.

Beta codes for Gotham City Imposters are being released on the game’s official website, and the full release of the game is scheduled for January 10, 2012. Catch one before they run out!

Final Fantasy XIV Box Art

For the people in the world enjoying the free to play (after buying a copy) monthly rate Final Fantasy XIV is currently going for, the need will arise soon for setting up a monthly payment plan. With the announcement of the upcoming release of Final Fantasy XIV 2.0, a massive content overhaul of the original game, monthly subscriptions plans will begin on January 6th, 2012.

As far back as 2005, Square Enix had been working on this RPG, set to be their next venture into the territory of MMORPG. In June 2009, Final Fantasy XIV was officially announced for the PlayStation 3 console and the PC. After finally being released in late September of 2010, the game was met with less than stellar responses. With such reviews as PC Gamer’s 30% rating, and such comments from reviewers as “the only nice thing that can be said about this game is that it has a cool intro movie”, or Gametrailers giving the game the “most disappointing game of the year” award for 2010, it was hard to see anyone but the most hardcore fanboys saying anything good about this game. Even Square Enix has made apologies, extending the free trial periods for people playing the game not once, but twice. They have gone so far as to say “The Final Fantasy brand has been greatly damaged” as a result of this game’s shortcomings.

In attempts to rectify the damage they have done, on top of making the game’s free trial period extended, Patches have been being released, bringing much needed content updates to Final Fantasy XIV. On October 14th, 2011, Square Enix announced their intention to relaunch the game as Final Fantasy XIV 2.0. Many changes are to be included at and shortly after the reboot, most notably a “fundamental reworking of in-game maps”, “the implementation of a new graphics engine”, “release of additional gender options”, “a fully renewed user interface”, a “worldless content finder”, a new server system, 1v1 and large scale PvP.

In the months leading up to Final Fantasy XIV 2.0, the existing game world will be undergoing many changes in an in-game event called the “Seventh Umbral Era”, which will provide players with a storyline, quests, and achievements that will not be able to be accessed again once Final Fantasy XIV 2.0 is released, giving a little something back to those who are currently playing the game. The long-delayed PlayStation 3 version of the game will finally be released shortly after the launch of Final Fantasy XIV 2.0 for PC.

With this announcement being made, Square Enix feels the time of Final Fantasy XIV being free to play has gone on long enough, and have announced subscription plans. As of January 6th 2012, players will be paying 9.99 a month ($6.99 for basic content and $3.00 for a character). This is discounted from the release date subscription price of $12.99 monhly. There will also be 90 and 180 day billing options available, going for 8.99 and 7.99 a month respectively.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Logo

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is putting together a new exhibit based on the art from video games, and are asking gamers to submit their pictures to add. The aptly named “Art of Video Games” exhibit is set to open in March 16, 2012. From cosplay to cut-outs to fan art, the museum is looking for anything they can get their hands on to show the true art of gaming. If there were ever a reason to build that Master Chief armor sitting in the garage or put together that macrame Triforce symbol, this is it.

In the words of the museum: “The Art of Video Games exhibition (opening March 16, 2012) will explore how game designers combine visual effects with narrative, audio, and player interaction to create immersive and meaningful experiences. To celebrate this ground-breaking exhibition, we are looking for photographs that show how video games can inspire creativity! These might include images of video-game-inspired drawings, paintings, sculptures, jewellery, clothing, events, graphics, food, wallpaper… anything, really! We’re particularly interested in seeing creative and crazy costumes inspired by your favorite game characters.”

Anyone interested in submitting their artwork, or interested in seeing the creativity spewing forth from gamers all across the world, there is a Flickr group set up that is currently showing pictures and accepting entries. The exhibition will take place on March 16, 2012 and will continue on through September 30, 2012. Videos and pictures are being accepted, so submit anything laying around that might be considered artwork to be a part of this monumental event in history.

Nintendo 3DS Logo

For anyone still interested in picking up Nintendo’s latest handheld system but unsure on when they will be picking one up, Nintendo is attempting to make the decision easier by providing the option of two seperate limited edition bundles.

The first bundle will include the recently released Super Mario 3D Land, a game combining the 2D linear based level platforming style of classic Mario titles with aspects of the more modern 3D titles, such as moving around in 3 dimensions and performing special actions beyond just jumping. The 3DS included in this bundle will be Flame Red.

The second bundle will include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, the 3D remake of the Nintendo 64 classic. In honor of the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series, this bundle will included a special limited edition Cosmo Black 3DS marked with the Hyrule emblem and gold-colored embellishments. Each of these bundles will be available on November 24 at the suggested retail price of $199.99.

Shoppers who are still hesitant to drop the money on this new system will have the opportunity to test it out, provided they live near one of twelve malls in the united states that will be given special demo units. The displays will be set up from November 21 through December 18. For a full list of the malls including these special displays, follow the magic word.

Nintendo would like to remind gamers that the systems will also have much content available straight out of the box. Through the Nintendo eShop, Players will be able to download hundreds of new games as well as re-released classic Nintendo titles. The Nintendo 3D Video service will allow people to watch short 3D videos of the music, comedy and animated persuasions. Netflix is also available to stream through the 3DS. So, before beginning the massive feeding frenzy of Turkey Day, or after the food coma has passed, players looking for a new handheld or parents looking for good Christmas ideas will now have a couple more options.

Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary Box Art

To mark the arrival of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary at stores on November 15 -also the tenth anniversary of the Xbox brand- Microsoft is inviting fans of the series to contribute to a commemoration of the tenth anniversary. They will be doing so by creating a living monument to the series’ long time lead, Master Chief. Contributing to the monument will be a simple thing, either submitting a photo from your Facebook or simply leaving a comment about your favorite Halo memory.

By visiting this website today, fans will be given the opportunity to upload pictures of their favorite Halo moments and watch as they seamlessly integrate with the images uploaded by other fans around the world and create an interactive 3D mosaic image of Master Chief. Users can explore the other uploads and comments on the mosaic, rate their favorite submissions and share them on Facebook or Twitter.

In addition, fans who add their photos to the interactive memorial can see their contributions immortalized in a personalized, live-action “Halo Tribute” video that honors the dedication and support of the Halo community over the franchise’s ten year history. Created in celebration of the ten year anniversary of one of the most popular franchises in recent gaming history, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a remastered, high definition version of the original Halo:Combat Evolved campaign, along with a handful of the multiplayer levels as well. With the addition of many new features from the original Xbox and later PC release, including Cooperative play via Xbox Live, six re-imagined multiplayer maps and one new Firefight map, a classic graphics mode, Kinect and Stereoscopic 3D support, along with new challenges and story to uncover, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary looks to be a big hit with the Spartans.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection Box Art

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today launched the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection in North America for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Featuring three complete games, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, this special re-mastered HD set retails at $49.99.

From the critically acclaimed director, Hideo Kojima, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection offers a small group of the more popular Metal Gear Solid titles in the series in HD format. Since the beginning of the series in 1998, the Metal Gear Solid franchise has been wildly successful on any console on which it has been released, gaining worldwide fame and praise for Mr. Kojima. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for the PlayStation 2 has received much praise from many magazines and website, having already been rereleased as Metal Gear Solid: Substance on the Xbox and PC. Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, a prequel to the entire Metal Gear Solid series, followed in 2004. Released in 2010 for the PlayStation Portable, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is the fourth Metal Gear Solid title for the PSP and has garnered several top gaming industry awards and honors.

The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection includes brand new features such as stunning 1080p graphics, user interface rebalanced for HD, added right analog stick input and force feedback, featured trophies on PS3 and achievements on Xbox 360, worldwide matchmaking for multiplayer and TRANSFARRING (save data sharing) compatible with PSP version.

“We are thrilled to release The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection which gives fans access to the fully re-mastered series for the first time ever” said Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “This bundle is the ultimate addition to any gamer’s collection.”

Elder Scrolls Skyrim

Fans who purchase Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Steam will be able to pre-load the game before it’s November 11th launch date. In order to try to slow downloading on the actual release date and avoid possible server crashes, Bethesda will make the game available for download a few days before release. Unfortunately, this does not grant players early access to the game. The download will only put the game on the computer, not allowing players to access it until the second the launch date begins.

Bethesda’s Director of Marketing and PR Pete Hines confirmed the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim pre-load via Twitter, answering multiple fan questions. “Yes, you will be able to preload on Steam,” said Hines when asekd by fans. He didn’t actually reveal the date fans can begin pre-loading, however, only that it will be a few days before the official launch date.

Set two hundred years after Oblivion, the game takes place in the land of Skyrim in the midst of a civil war after the assassination of the king. In the preamble to Elder Scrolls Skyrim, the Empire began ceding territory to the Elven nations it once ruled, because there was not a clear heir to the emperor’s now vacant throne. The Blades, with no one left to defend, have all either been killed, slowly withered away or gone into seclusion. After the king of Skyrim was assassinated, a civil war broke out amongst the native Nord race. The majority of the Nords wished for Skyrim to secede from the Empire, and the rest wished for Skyrim to stay in the Empire.

As with the previous Elderscrolls games, players will start as a prisoner, on their way to execution for their involvement with the Stormcloaks. The Stormcloaks are the group founded by the king’s assassin.

Frogger Decades Logo

On October 24, Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. released unique new additions to Frogger Decades in the App Store in response to user comments and feedback. With improved touch controls to make for more accurate “Jump” and “Tongue” commands, players are also introduced to two new characters. Finnius and Berry will join Frogger in his adventures, along with a secret unannounced playable character. Frogger Decades will feature iCADE support, and diehard Frogger fans will have the ability to play through a new Forever Mode, allowing them to play though Frogger’s entire journey to his big birthday bash, all in one sitting.

Frogger Decades will begin the story with Frogger coming home to find a map pinned to his frog door, giving directions to his frog birthday party. Unbeknownst to Frogger, his arch frog enemy has changed his frog map, sending the poor frog on a dangerous journey to his own thirtieth birthday bash. Frogger Decades will be showcasing five creative and alluring environments, designed to challenge even the most hellbent of Frogger fans. From giant crabs to bulldozers, Frogger will have to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge his way through many difficult and maddening obstacles on his journey to the party. Along the way, players will be given the opportunity to meet many of Frogger’s closest friends, each with a unique ability to help Frogger along his way.

Frogger Decades is now available for purchase and download on the App Store for iPad, iPhone and the iPod Touch.

Kirby's Return To Dream Land Box Art

Nintendo’s loveable pink ball Kirby has long been known for his ability to eat his enemies and gain their powers. In the latest Wii installment into his series, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, the pink menace is set to unleash some impressive new powers and abilities.

Released on October 24 exclusively on the Wii console, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land brings players back to the familiar side scrolling worlds they are comfortable with. Much like the previous titles, players will journey through many different worlds, sucking up enemies and gaining their powers while searching for hidden treasures. Unique to this installment, Kirby will now have access to Super Abilities, allowing him to destroy enemies and environments in all new ways. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land will also have multiplayer for up to three extra players, who will be able to jump in at any time and destroy any progress the current player might have been making.

In this new title, Kirby is working to find pieces of a spaceship that has crash landed on Kirby’s planet of Popstar. Much like previous games, when kirby encounters enemies he can eat them and gain their powers. Players will need to keep an eye out for special enemies, whom upon being inhaled will grant Kirby access to a Super Ability. From destruction of entire landscapes in one blow to a Super Inhale ability that turns enemies into giant projectiles, the possibility for destruction and fun is everywhere. The additional players who jump will have the option of either being different color Kirbys or a select few well known characters from throughout the series: Meta Knight, King Dedede or Waddle Dee.

Kirby and the other playable characters in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land have their own unique abilities, and will be able to be combined in different ways. Players can coordinate their actions into powerful team attacks, or they can make Kirby inhale and spit out other characters to knock down foes in battle. Players will have to hold the Wii Remote controller sideways to control Kirby as he navigates his way through various environments, swimming through seas, flying over jungles and beyond.

Professor Layton And The Last Specter Box Art

On October 17 2011, Professor Layton and the Last Specter launched, marking an exciting new chapter in the growing franchise. Featuring a new prequel storyline that will let players help the Professor solve his very first case, Professor Layton and the Last Specter contains more puzzles than any installment to date. There will also be a new role playing game included called Professor Layton’s London Life that will allow fans and newcomers alike to experience the Professor Layton universe like never before.

In Professor Layton and the Last Specter, distinguished scholar Hershel Layton is just budding as a world famous detective and master sleuth. After receiving a letter from an old friend, the professor is drawn to a rural town called Misthallery that is said to be haunted by a late night specter. Players will progress through the story by solving a wide variety of logic, slide, picture, number and language puzzles. They will also encounter Layton’s know-it-all assistant Emmy Altava, and witness his first meeting with his soon to be apprentice Luke Triton. The game’s many puzzles will constantly be intertwining with the story in clever ways, and should be suitable for all skill levels. Starting October 23, Nintendo will make additional puzzles available for download for players who can connect their DS to the internet via a Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.

“The huge variety of puzzles in Professor Layton and the Last Specter make it not only entertaining but also a terrific value,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “With a bonus role-playing game that takes the experience even deeper, players can get to know Professor Layton and his universe in a fun, interactive way.”

In the Professor Layton’s London Life role-playing game that is included with every Professor Layton and the Last Specter card, players can experience life in Little London and meet up with many of the strange and silly characters from previous Professor Layton games. With more than 100 hours of game play and an additional storyline to complete, players can customize their appearance and surroundings, work odd jobs and work to collect clues in the effort of learning the mysterious origins of a strange fairy. Professor Layton’s London Life does not require players to play through the main game first and can be played at any time.

Square Enix Logo

Square Enix Inc., the American publisher for Square Enix, announce that they will be showcasing many games, as well as a number of exclusive events at this years New York Comic Con. This year, the event will take place in Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan from October thirteenth through the sixteenth.

Show attendees will be treated to playable demos of a handful of new games. The biggest of these will probably be the demo for Final Fantasy XIII-2, giving players a chance to get a feel for Serah and Noel, the new leads as they search for Lightning in the latest installment of the Final Fantasy franchise. Other than this, there will be a preview for the new French MMORPG, Wakfu, an anime style, turn-based tactical game from Ankama. Wakfu is in beta testing right now and will be available in early 2012.

There will also be playable demos of a few already released games. Deus Ex: Human Revolution will be available to play, giving players an exclusive chance to experience the upcoming DLC, entitled “Missing Link” and giving players additional play during a point in the game where Adam Jensen mysteriously disappeared for three days. This DLC will be available later this month. Players will also get a chance to try out the melee focused zombie game Dead Island, in case they had not already purchased it.

Other exclusive events from Square Enix include a Tomb Raider 15th anniversary celebration where attendees can receive an exclusive autographed 5×7 art print by Camilla D’errico. There will also be the last stop of the Final Fantasy XIII-2 “Word to Your Moogle” tour. Fans who attend can enter to win event exclusive prizes.

Portal 2 U.S. Box Art

Valve has announced today that the new DLC for Portal 2 is available for download. Entitled Portal 2: Peer Review, this free DLC is available to all owners of Portal 2. It can be downloaded on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and will be automatically downloaded for owners using Steam on Mac or PC.

In the Portal 2 co-op mode, players would join forces as the robots P-Body and Atlas, completing puzzles for GLaDOS as she led them through a plethora of challenges. From finding data disks outside of the testing grounds to testing out the latest puzzles, these poor robots are put through a lot at the mercy of GLaDOS. In Portal 2: Peer Review, These robots see their return. Once more working for GLaDOS, P-Body and Atlas will have to work their way through a mysterious new puzzle and once again match wits with their creator. The free DLC will also include single player and co-op challenge modes, with leaderboards so players can brag about their scores with their friends or with other players online.

To celebrate the release of Portal 2: Peer Review, Portal 2 is now on sale on Steam for 50% off of the retail price until Thursday at 4pm PT.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Logo

On October 3, Square Enix Inc., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in the Americas, announced preorder plans for Final Fantasy XIII-2. The game is being released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is part of the ever more popular trend of sequels to the already numbered Final Fantasy games. With this sequel, the developers are taking the fan’s opinions into consideration by opening up the world a bit more and putting more development into the battle system, two areas in which Final Fantasy XIII was often criticized. They claim that the sequel will feature a more open level design, intended to encourage players to explore rather than just advance. Further, the battle system has been tweaked, with the most noticeable change being the ability to command monsters. Square Enix even claims that options meant to support multiple playthroughs will be included.

Square Enix is offering exclusive incentives for players who preorder at Gamestop, Amazon or Best Buy. Gamestop Preorders will receive an exclusive in game item: an alternate costume for Serah, the game’s main protagonist. Amazon is offering a unique coliseum battle, against the exclusive enemy “Omega”, who upon defeat joins the party. Best Buy is taking a more out of game incentive approach, offering a novella entitled Final Fantasy XIII -episode i-, a story that ties together the events of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2. From wherever players preorder the game, they will have their choice of goodies, tailored to different desires, from the cosmetic to the combat and even for readers. FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 will be available at North American retailers for $59.99 on January 31, 2012, and is not yet rated.

Star Wars The Old Republic

Electronic Arts today confirmed that the BioWare-developed MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic will launch December 20 in North America, and December 22 in Europe. With the death and funeral of Star Wars Galaxies officially being announced as December 15, dozens of accounts will cry out, be silenced, and then shortly thereafter find new life in a new galaxy far, far away.

The publisher has said it will limit the number of Star Wars: The Old Republic copies that will be available at launch through both retail and digital channels to ensure server stability. While EA has already established what the exact number of copies sold will be, it will not be announcing that figure. If and when that sales figure is reached, the publisher plans to cease digital sales through its Origin downloadable storefront while it expands server capacity.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is the latest in the Knights of the Old Republic series, and the first in the series to be an MMORPG. Players will join one of two factions- The Galactic Republic or the Sith empire- and face moral decisions in an epic fight for the galaxy. The game is set 300 years after the events of the previous Knights of the Old Republic games, and 3,500 years prior to the events of the Star Wars films.

Similar to many other MMORPG titles, there will be many class options for either faction, ranging from Jedi and Sith to soldiers and bounty hunters. Each class will have skills they can learn, and a second “specialization” option, following another specific set of skills. Players will have the option of many of the memorable races from earlier movies and games, with humans having the option of any class and other races being limited to a few options.

One feature that sets Star Wars: The Old Republic apart from other MMORPGs is the addition of non-player character (NPC) companions. These companions will help the player with missions, provide more story options, and even have small crafting missions they can do while the player is off saving the galaxy. There will also be the option of space battles, with each class having a ship they will be able to pilot. Players will take part in a “tunnel shooter” style fight, flying on a predetermined path and fighting anything in their way.